NZIIA Waikato Branch in Conjunction with the University of Waikato’s Political Science &
Public Policy Programme Presents:
The Asia New Zealand Foundation at 20
By
John McKinnon
Thursday 24 of July, 1.30pm
In
Room KG.09, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, University of Waikato
John McKinnon is the current Executive Director of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. He has been a diplomat and government official for
most of his working life. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1974, and was posted to China in 1978. He was then assigned to the Asian
Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade before subsequent postings to Washington, Canberra and New York. In 1995, John moved
to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet before being appointed New Zealand’s ambassador to China and Mongolia from 2001 to
2004. After returning to New Zealand as Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs he was appointed Secretary of Defence from 2006
to 2012, during which the New Zealand Government published the Defence White Paper 2010. In May 2014 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade announced that John would return to China as ambassador in January 2015.
*Refreshments provided in the Department of Political Science & Public Policy, room J2.12, from 1.pm
*For more information about the Branch & how to join please contact the Branch Secretary, Simon Gray via [email protected]
or visit our webpage http://www.nziia.org.nz/waikato.aspx